Chandigarh: The Punjab govt's ‘Easy Jamabandi' initiative now allows landowners to initiate ‘fard badar' (corrections for clerical errors) on the portal and also file online complaints regarding ‘harassment or corruption' by patwaris or tehsildars.

The new system further provides subscribers, particularly NRIs or those who have moved to cities, with real-time updates on their revenue records, ensuring they are promptly alerted to any unauthorised changes.Elaborating on the new system, Anurag Verma, additional chief secretary, revenue, said on Friday, "Fard badar has long been a major source of corruption. If a landowner's name is misspelled in land records, it requires a fard badar to correct it.

A small typographical error by a patwari can cause significant issues, especially when the landowner tries to sell their property. They often have to trace old jamabandis to verify their correct name.

Over 60,000 applications for fard badar are received each year. Now, the system has been fully reformed and digitised."Meanwhile, the state govt is in the process of replacing Urdu land record terms like ‘fard badar' with Punjabi names.

The primary purpose of ‘fard badar' is to rectify minor, clerical, or accidental errors that may have occurred during the recording of land information by revenue officials such as patwaris.Speaking about the new option to subscribe to land records, Verma said, "Illegitimate changes are often made in revenue records without the landowner's knowledge, leading to prolonged litigation to correct the records. To address this, a ‘Subscribe to Land Records' feature has been introduced for an annual fee of Rs 500 per khewat (the account number identifying landowners).

Subscribers will receive alerts via WhatsApp or email whenever a change is proposed in their Khewat, allowing them to raise objections in time.

This will help prevent fraud and significantly reduce litigation."Revenue minister Hardeep Singh Mundian added that tehsildars have recently been transferred across the state as part of the ongoing effort to check corruption. The online system was another step in the direction, he said.Asked about the necessity for NRIs to appear before revenue officers despite the online application, Verma said the option of video conferencing to exempt physical presence will be explored. To another question, he said that revenue officers still have a role in the digital system, but the chances of corruption had been removed.The ‘Easy Jamabandi' portal was launched by Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal in Amritsar on Thursday with features such as getting Jamabandi via WhatsApp, online mutation and correction of land records.

The revenue processes have been made time bound and as of Friday, there were 1,800 cases of intkal (change in ownership and title of the land) were pending.Varma said the complaint against patwari, or tehsildar can be made in reply to a WhatsApp message without physically going to the deputy commissioner. "Most applicants are reluctant to make complaints in person. Now they can do so by clicking on a link they would receive on WhatsApp," he said.BOX: REVENUE SERVICES AVAILED ANNUALLYMutation: 8 lakh (6 lakh on basis of registration deeds and 2 lakh of inheritance).Entry of rapat (court, order, loan): 2 lakhFard Badar (correction in clerical effort): 60 thousandBOX: LAND RECORDS OF 150 VILLAGES YET TO BE DIGITISEDVerma confirmed that land record of 150 villages, mostly located in the bigger cities, were yet to be digitised and the exercise would be completed in next 2-3 months.

"The applications can still filed online but jamabandis cannot be sent on WhatsApp in such cases," he said.BOX: WHEN MOHAN SINGH BECAME SOHAN SINGHCiting an example from his village, revenue minister Gurdeep Singh Mundian said his friend Mohan Singh's name in the land records was changed to Sohan Singh by the patwari without his knowledge. "A fake Aadhar card was used to get the land registered in the name of one Sohan Singh and revenue records of the past 15 years were also changed. The police later unearthed a scam worth Rs 1.50 crore. The digital system will rule out delays and corruption in collusion with the patwaris and kanugoes,' he said. MSID:: 121831753 413 |